Cotton-machine.



J. C. CONRAD.

COTTON MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Emma, 1912 Patented Apr. 15,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET anaemic? f "W, a% 4 M 1m J. C. CONRAD.

COTTON MACHINE. APPLICATION rum) IEB.9, 1912.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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@viinmoeo fl zao ke (M041 earns j AEN JOSHUA C. CONRAD, OF CEMENT,OKLAHOMA.

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COTTON-MACHINE.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 9. 1912.

Patented Apr. 15, Serial No. 673,500.

To all whom it may concern c it known that I Josi-iUA C. Conan), acitizen of the United States, residing at which the screen c0acting Withthe crushing and segregating mechanism shall be adpistable toward orfrom said mechanism.

ement, county of Caddo, and State of My invention further consists invarious 0 Oklahoma, have invented certain new and details ofconstruction and arrangements of useful Improvements in Cotton-Machinesof parts all as will be fully described hereinwhich the following is aspecification after and particularly pointed out in the My inventionrelates to improvements in claims. cotton machines and particularly to acom- My invention will be more readily under- 5 bined hulling andcleaning machine. stood by reference to the accompanyin The object of myinvention is to provide drawings forming a part of this specificaamachine which shall be adapted to tion and in whichthoroughly cleancotton whether the same be Figure 1 IS a vertical longitudinal sectionpicked from the boll or with the-boll. nough a cotton cleanin machineembody- A further object of my invention is to mg my invention in itspreferred form. pl0\l(le a machine of the chaiacter and f0] F g. 2 18 aside elevat on of the same, and tie purpose mentioned in which thecotton lfig. 3 is a detailed section, taken on substanwhich has beenpicked from the boll may tially the line m-m of Fig. 1. or may not besub ected to the same ti cateferring now to the drawing 1 indicates mentnecessary for that picked with the boll, tie vacuum box which issupported b a to the end hat the cotton may be putin the suitable frame2. Leading into the from best condition for ginning. of the box adjacentits upper end is a duct further object of my invention is to 3 throughwhich the cotton is fed to the provide a bell cotton cleaning machine indevice, the inner end of the duct bein flared 30 which the mechanism maybe adjusted for as at 4 to distribute the cotton evenl variousconditions of the cotton supplied to throughout the Width of the box.Extend the device. ing from the teen of the box,- that is the Otherobjects will appear hereinafter. opposite side from the duct 3, is' anair duct With these objects in view my invention 5 leading to the fan orvacuum creating de- 35 consists generally in a tacuuin box provided viceThe lower end of the box terminates at its lower end with'an air valvewhich in a cylindrical shell or casing Gin which ilso constitutes acotton discharging device, i r tutably mounted an air valve 7 controL,

a substantially vertical screen partition diling the cotton dischargeporter opening 8. viding the box into two chambers each Conn The valve 7comprises a pair of end spmunicating with said valve, a feed duct ders 9connected by a plurality of radial eadin into said box, va ves tordirectnn disposed boards 10 forming a series of pockthe cotton from saidduct into either of said ts 11. To the outer edges of the boards 10chambers as desired, an air duct leading are secured flexible strips 12whichen age rein one of said chambers, boll crushing the Walls of theshell 6 and prevent an up- 96 and segregating mechanism in the lastmenward draft through the poit 8. tioned chamber an a co-acting screenin- 1. vertical transverse partition l3';is,arterposed between saidmechanism and the ranged in the box 1 dividing the satin: into air duct.chambers 14 and 15. The partition 13 is My invention further consists ina cotton formed of screening and extends from subcleaning devicecharacterized as above stated stantiall y on a level with the bottom ofthe in which one of the valves is formed of duct 3 to adjacentt'hclvalvc 'Z, the lower end screen and when in position to direct thebeing so arranged that both chambers are cotton to the chambercontaining the boll in communication with the valve shell 6. 16 crushingmechanism, shall constitute a conand 17 incicate transverse framemembers tinuation of the screen between said inechorming braces 01supports for the screen anisni and the air duct and when in positionpartition 13. to direct the cotton into the other chamber, Arranged inthe chamber 15 is the boll shall constitute a continuation of the screencrushing and segregating mechanism. This par i ion. I comprises acrushing cylinder 18 and co- 1w ventioi further consists in a cottonacting concave 19 together with a plurality .l

cleaning machine ,as above mentioned in of heaters Qtland ace-actingscreen The cylinder 18 is of heavy cast iron construetion and providedon its peripheral face with diagonally disposed ribs or lugs 22. Theconcave 19 comprises a yieldingly supported member 23 having a concaveface adjacent the cylinder 18 to which is secured cast plates providedwith ribs or lugs 2 1 similar to the lugs 22 and adapted to co-acttherewith. -The concave 19 is supported by rods 25 extending throughframe members 26, and springs 27 interposed between the members 23 and26 hold the concave yieldingly in position. 28 indicates a nut on therod 25 for limiting the inward movement of the concave and serving asmeans whereby the normal position of the'same with relation to thecylinder may be regulated. The heaters 20 comprise wooden cylinders 29provided with a large number of radially projecting pins or spikes 30.The screen 21 extends from the lower edge of the concave 19 to the upperadjacent edge of the valve shell -6 and is shaped to conform to thecrusher cylinder and the beaters throughout about half of thecircumference of the latter. The heaters are preferably arranged oneabove the other as shown in Fi g. 1 and the screen therefore comprises aseries of superimposed substantially semi-eylindrical por tions betweenthe adjacent edges of which are arranged brace members 31. The screen 21and brace members 31 are secured to substantially vertical members32'which lie fiat against the sides of the box 1 and which are hingedlymounted at the bottom as at 33, by which construction the screen may beadjusted toward or from the heaters as desired. The members 32 areprovided with slots 34: through which extend thumb screws 35 forsecuring the device in adjusted position, Extending over the crushercylinder 18 for a short distance from the upper edge of the concavetoward the inlet 3 is a short screen section 36. It will be noted thatthe sect-ion 36 forms a substantial continuation of the screen 21' andsaid screen 21 is arranged between the crushing and segregatingmechanism and the air dust 5.

The bottom of the box beneath the screen 21 is inclined as at 37 and atthe lower edge of the incline 37 is formed a channel 38 in which isarranged a screw conveyer 39. The

I bottom portion 37 is hinged as at 40 and constitutes a door wherebyaccess may be had to the screen 21 foradjusting, repairing, or removingthe same.

Hingedly mounted at the lower edge of the inner endof the duct 3 is avalve 41 which is preferably solid or imperforate, and to the upperedgeof the duct is secured a valve 42 which is formed of screening andwhich when in one position forms a continuation of the screen 21 and inanother position a continuation of the screen 13. The valves 41 and 42are operated by levers 43 and 44; and if preferred these levers may beconnected by suitable means 45 whereby they may be operatedsimultaneously.

The shafts of the cylinder 18 and heaters 20 are provided with pulleysl6 and 17 respectively which are coupled by belting 18, 49 and 50 shown.The shaft of the cylinder 18 is also provided with a pulley 51 for thepower belt not shown. 52 indicates the pulley for the belt for drivingthe rotary air valve 7.

The operation of the device is as follows: A partial vacuum is create inthe box 1 through the duct 5 and the cotton to be cleaned is drawnthereby through the duct 3. If the cotton has been picked from the bollsthe valves 41 and 42 are dropped into the position shown in full linesin Fig. 1, unless dirty and trashy, in which event the cotton will-passthrough the chamber 14 to the valve 7 and thence through the port 8 tothe gin or elsewhere as desired. As the cotton passes through thechamber 1 1 is drawn against the screen 13 and the dust and dirt isseparated therefrom by being drawn through said screen. It should benoted that the screen 12 forms a continuation of the screen 13 therebyincreasing the area of the cleaning surface.

Shouldthe cotton fed to the device be in the bolls, or dirty or trashy,the valves 41 and 42 are raised as indicated in dotted lines therebycausing the cotton to pass into the chamber 15 to be acted upon by thebell crushing and segregating mechanism. The valve 41 across whichthe'cotton asses, be ing imperforate, prevents any 0 y the dirt fromdropping through the chamber 14 to the valve, and the valve. 452 forms acontinuation of the screen 21. As the cotton passes between the cylinder18 and-concave 19 the bolls are crushed and as it passes between theheaters 20 and the adjacent portions of the screen 21 it is segregatedand the dust and dirt together with portions of the bolls are drawnthrough the screen to be carried away by the duct 5 or the conveyor 39.

This device may be used as an unloader or circulating machine as valves7 will discharge in an air space as well as in the open.

- Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent: v

1. A device of the class described, comprising a vacuum box, a valveddischarge at the lower end thereof, an inlet adjacent the upper end ofthe box, an air duct leading from the o posite side of said box fromsaid inlet a su stantially vertical screen partition dividing said boxinto two chambers, a pair of valves, a connection between said valvesfor operating the same simultaneously to direct the cotton from saidinlet into either of said chambers, each of said chambers communicatingat its lower endwith said valved discharge, boll crushing andsegregating mechanism in the chamber in direct communication with saidair duct,

5. and a screen co-acting with said segregating mechanism and adjustablymounted between the same and said air ducts, substantially ,asdescribed.

2. A device of 10 prising a vacuum box,

class described coma screen part tion die the viding said box into twochambers a valved discharge In communication with the lower end of eachof ing into said box said chambers, an inlet 1ead-' above the upper endof 15 said partition, valves for directing the cot-- ton from said inletbers as desired, an

into either of said chamair duct leading from one being imperforate andthe other valve being foraminated and 1h one position formscreen betweenthe segregating mechanism and the air duct, substantially asdescribed.In testimony whereof I have signed my mg a continuation of said screenpartition and in another position a continuatlon of the name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSHUA C. CONRAD. Witnesses: I

R. M. DUGGEN,, J. E. GILL.

